Counselor Connection

The West High Counseling Department is seeking parent/guardian feedback in an effort to focus and improve our program delivery to better serve our students and their families. Please click here to access the survey. The survey will close at the end of March. We truly appreciate your input!

Friday, March 16 - AP forms and money due to AP teacher

May 7 - AP Chemistry (8:00 AM); AP Psychology (12:00 PM)

May 9 - AP English Literature and Composition (8:00 AM)

May 10 - AP United States Government and Politics (8:00 AM); AP Environmental Science (12:00 PM)

May 11 - AP United States History (8:00 AM); AP Studio Art deadline

May 14 - AP Biology (8:00 AM)

May 15 - AP Calculus AB (8:00 AM); AP Calculus BC (8:00 AM)

May 16 - AP English Language and Composition (8:00 AM); AP Macroeconomics (12:00 PM)

May 17 - AP Statistics (12:00 PM)

May 18 - AP Human Geography (8:00 AM); AP Microeconomics (8:00 AM); AP European History (12:00 PM)

Students: mark your calendars for your MANDATORY TN Promise meeting on Thursday, March 8, at 5:30 PM in the West High cafeteria. Students must be on time and present for the entire meeting. Parents/guardians are welcome to attend but are not required to attend. A parent/guardian may NOT attend in place of his/her child. Please click here to view the attendance policy for TN Promise, including excused and unexcused absences, and to access the on-line excuse form. This policy is also explained in the green TN Promise student handbook that students received in October. Students who do not attend the meeting and are not excused will lose eligibility for the TN Promise scholarship program.

On March 20 (statewide ACT test day for juniors), seniors will not report to school. Seniors are required to visit a college (2-year, 4-year, or TCAT) OR work toward completing their 8 required hours of community service for TN Promise. Students who choose community service must complete the form given to them in TNN as proof of their community service. Students who go for college visits should request proof of their visit from the college admissions office. Please see below for an opportunity for students who are interested in Walters State.

Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Morristown Campus/Student ServicesBuilding/Lyceum

1:30 pm: Admissions Information Session

2:00 pm: Optional Campus Tours

You are invited to join us for Morristown West High School Visitation Day on Tuesday, March 20th at 1:30 pm. Walters State Representatives will provide information about the college, admissions/financial aid processes and the Orientation/Class Registration process for first-time degree seeking students.

In order to stay eligible for the TN Promise Scholarship, students must complete and submit 8 hours of community service between November 2 and July 1. Students do not turn these hours in to the Counseling Office - they submit them on-line here. Students who plan to attend TCAT and begin during the summer term must have their 8 community service hours submitted by April 1.

Students should keep track of the following information related to their community service so that they have what they need for on-line submission: place, date, number of hours, supervisor's name, supervisor's phone number, and supervisor's e-mail address.

More information may be found on the TN Promise website or in the green TN Promise student handbook that students received during the assembly on October 11. Students who did not attend the meeting on October 11 or pick up their student handbook may stop by the counseling office to get a copy.

Now is the time for students to apply for local scholarships! The following are available at this time - deadlines are included. Please check the Counseling Dept. website or the Counseling Office for more details.

Lowland Credit Union - March 30, 2018

Tennessee Association of Housing and Redevelopment Authorities Scholarship Program - April 2, 2018

University of Tennessee Chattanooga Marjorie Watson Mathematics Scholarship - March 15, 2018

Virgil L. Harville Memorial Scholarship - April 18, 2018

Commercial Bank “Life. Made Better.” Scholarship - March 30, 2018

Morristown Hamblen Hospital Auxiliary - April 6, 2018

Golden Eagle Scholarship - March 31, 2018

Walters State Community College Scholarship - March 31, 2018

Jonathan Fluker Memorial Scholarship - March 31, 2018

Trojan Army Scholarship - May 1, 2018

Stan and Thelma Plumlee Scholarship - March 8, 2018

Ralph W. Sharpe Memorial Scholarship - April 1, 2018

DAR Scholarships - Deadlines Vary

Tennessee Benevolent Trust Scholarship in Nursing - February 1, 2018

National CO-OP Scholarship Program - February 15, 2018

"Running Matt's Race" Memorial Scholarship - April 16, 2018

SunTrust Off to College Scholarship Sweepstakes - Two winners are randomly chosen every two weeks from September12, 2017- May 14, 2018

Descriptions of the scholarships and instructions for applying may be found on the Counseling Department webpage.

Summer Work Based Learning Internship Applications are now available to current sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Students may pick up applications from their TNN teacher or in the counseling office. Applications are due to TNN teachers or the counseling office by April 1, 2018.

Students who are planning to submit an application for TN Scholars should keep in mind that 80 hours of volunteer community service are required. These hours must be documented and include the signature(s) and contact information of the supervisor with whom the student worked. Students received information and application forms for this program during senior meetings. TN Scholars applications are due on April 13. Any student with questions about this program may see his/her school counselor.

All students planning to attend WSCC are encouraged to submit an application for their foundation scholarships. The on-line scholarship may be found here. Students must be admitted to WSCC before they can apply for the scholarship, so students who haven't yet applied should do so as soon as they can. The deadline for submitting the scholarship application is March 31.

First-time degree seeking students are required to sign up for New Student Orientation. Upon successful sign-up, students will attend an in-person Orientation to meet with an academic advisor and establish a course schedule for the upcoming semester. Orientation is designed to give students an overview of important information pertaining to attending Walters State Community College and being a successful college student. Students should regularly check their WS Senator Email account for information about Orientation. Orientation dates for the Morristown campus are:

April 5, 14, 16

May 8, 21, 30

June 9, 14, 21, 26

July 10, 26

August 2, 21

For questions about orientation, please call WSCC Student Enrollment Services at 423-585-2685.

Morristown Campus/June 4-June 26/May 31-Kick-Off Meeting

The WSCC Student Learning Support Academy is a FREE program that provides instruction in mathematics, reading, and writing in an effort to improve student academic skills and move students into college-level coursework if possible. The academy also includes special sessions on student success strategies and a technology orientation. Students must be required to take learning support courses in reading, English, or math based on ACT or ACCUPLACER placement scores. SLSA Online Registration Coming Soon!
Please contact Connie Earls at 423-585-6938 or Brandy Lester 423-585-6925 in Retention Services for more information.

TN Promise applicants must meet all deadlines to remain eligible for TN Promise.

January 26, 2018 - FAFSA deadline

Fall 2017/Spring 2018 - complete application for admission for selected TN Promise school

March 8, 2018 - MANDATORY 2nd TN Promise meeting at 5:30p.m. in West High cafeteria

November 2, 2017 - July 1, 2018 - complete and report 8 hours of community service

Fall 2018 - if selected for FAFSA verification, provide requested documentation to financial aid office

Students who have not yet applied to their TN Promise school should do so now!

College visits can be extremely helpful as a student is making important decisions about to which schools he/she will apply and eventually about to which school he/she will eventually commit to attending. College visits and open house events often give students opportunities to learn about the application process, available financial aid and scholarships, housing options, and academic programs/majors. Students will generally be offered a tour of campus which includes dorms, dining and recreation facilities, student centers, and academic buildings. Setting foot on a college campus and experiencing some of the same things experienced by the college's students can help high school students decide if the school is a good "fit". Click the links below to register on-line for upcoming events. If these dates do not work, students may check college websites for other visit opportunities.

Carson Newman College

March 20

April 10

East Tennessee State University

March 17

April 7

King College

March 17

Middle Tennessee State University

March 17

Lincoln Memorial University

April 21 - Preview Day

March 23-24 - Railsplitter for a Day

University of Tennessee Knoxville

April 28 - Big Orange Preview Day/Spring Open House

The Work Ethic Diploma was first offered in the 2015-16 school year as part of a LEAP (Labor Education Alignment Program) grant. The standards that students are required to meet to earn the Work Ethic Diploma reflect the skills and characteristics that are needed for students to be college and career ready. More than 30 Lakeway region businesses and industries guarantee an interview to students who have earned the Work Ethic Diploma and who meet other job-related qualifications.

Seniors will apply in their TNN classes. Students who successfully complete the application process will earn cords to wear during the graduation ceremony. The deadline for meeting requirements and submitting completed applications is April 13, 2018. Please click here to view the Tennessee Work Ethic Diploma standards. Please click here to view a list of frequently asked questions.

Students may use any provider they wish for the 10 panel drug test. To get reimbursed, they bring their receipt (must be under $50) and clean results to Mrs. Alvarado at the Hamblen County Board of Education.

The West High Counseling Office will be open until 6:00 pm on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month to offer more availability for parents who are not able to come in during the school day. The next date for extended hours is December 14th - help will be available for FAFSA on this date until 6:00. Please stop by if you haven't submitted your FAFSA yet!

Don't miss out on important events and deadlines! Please sign up to receive updates from the West High Counseling Department! To receive messages via text, text @mowest2018 to the number 81010.

Be sure to visit the Morristown West Counseling Department webpage often for scholarship updates! To access this webpage, please go to the Morristown West High School main webpage and click on the “Scholarships” link on the left (under “News & Events”). Here you will find scholarships listed in order of receipt. This is not an exhaustive list. Many scholarship opportunities are available to students, and it is the student's responsibility to seek these opportunities. Students may wish to research opportunities to apply for scholarships at the post-secondary institution(s) to which they plan to apply as well as on-line search engines (some are listed below) and places of student/parent employment. Of course, the TN Promise scholarship is available to eligible students (see article above).

collegeboard.org

fastweb.com

collegefortn.org

studentaid.ed.gov

collegexpress.com

collegetoolkit.com

collegepays

scholarships.com

October 1 - FAFSA – Seniors and parents can start completing FAFSA after this date.

November 1 - Deadline to apply for Tennessee Promise Scholarship

January 26 - FAFSA Deadline for Tennessee Promise Scholarship

March 8 – MANDATORY 2nd TN Promise meeting at 5:30p.m. at West High (cafeteria)

April 13 - Deadline to submit Work Ethic Diploma Requirements

April 13 - Deadline to submit Tennessee Scholar Applications

May 18 - Graduation at WSCC Expo Center, 4:30 PM

Register on-line at www.act.org.

West High ACT Code 431-587 (Where your scores are sent)

West High Test Center Code 193810 (Where you take the test)

Upcoming Exam Dates

*April 14, 2018 - registration deadline is March 9, 2018

June 9, 2018 - registration deadline is May 4, 2018

July 14, 2018 - registration deadline is June 15, 2018

Please visit www.act.org for information about late registration and photo upload deadlines.

*The test will be administered at Morristown West High School

Students will not be admitted to the test center without an admission ticket.

To register and to check for late registration information, visit collegeboard.org/sat/register.

March 10, 2018 - registration deadline February 9, 2018

May 5, 2018 - registration deadline April 6, 2018

June 2, 2018 - registration deadline May 3, 2018

Seniors who need credit recovery should see their counselor for an application and begin the sessions immediately. Sessions are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays through May 8th.

How to Qualify:

· Entering freshmen must have either a 21 ACT score OR an overall unweighted minimum 3.0 GPA.

Award Amounts:

For entering freshmen beginning with fall 2015 and thereafter

· Four-Year Institutions and two-year institutions with on-campus housing: Up to $1,750 per full-time enrollment semester as a freshmen and sophomore; then up to $2,250 per full-time enrollment semester as a junior and senior

· Two-Year Institutions: Up to $1,500 per full-time enrollment semester as a freshman and sophomore

Award amounts are available for summer enrollment

· Class status is determined by the postsecondary institution

How to Apply:

· Complete your FAFSA as soon as possible after October 1, 2017. The completion of the FAFSA is your application for the TN Hope Lottery Scholarship.

Click here for a list of eligible institutions.

Students who need their transcripts sent to colleges may see Ms. Davidson in the Counseling Office to complete a transcript request form. The first transcript is free; each additional transcript costs $3.00. Please allow at least two weeks to process transcript requests.

West High is excited to have NiswongerCARE College and Career Advisor Erica Gillett with us for another year! Mrs. Gillett can help with TN Promise applications, FAFSA, career searches, college applications, scholarships, registration for ACT exams, and any other college and career needs. Students may stop by and see Mrs. Gillett in the Counseling Office during school hours on Mondays-Thursdays.

Email: ebruce@niswongerfoundation.org
Website: www.niswongercare.com
Phone: 423-581-1600

• Jill Reuschel: Students A-E
  

• Gwen Ledford, Lead Counselor: Students F-L

• Renae Byrd: Students M-R

• Melanie Justis: Students S-Z

• Crystal Davidson: Counseling Office Secretary

• Office Contact Information:

• Phone- 423-581-1600
  
• Fax- 423-585-3791